Commander Branch
CC-8542/221, nicknamed Branch, was a clone trooper commander who served under Jedi General Kyle Redbreak during the Clone Wars. Given command of the 162nd Strike Battalion (attached to the 422nd Defense Corps), Branch had served frequently alongside Redbreak in numerous battlefields including Geonosis, Kamino, Ryloth, Umbara, and to the Republic homeworld of Coruscant. In 19 BBY, towards the end of the war, Branch was killed by shrapnel wounds during the Battle of Hypori (Outer Rim Sieges). Early Life CC-8542/221, or Branch as he was called, was born and raised on the stormy and watery world of Kamino. While undergoing training, he showed talent in the field of leadership, eventually being singled out by the Kaminoans for officer training. First Battle of Geonosis : "Take those droids out before they breach the left flank and save the questions for later!" —Commander Branch commanding a platoon of troops In 22 BBY, the clones would participate in their very first battle on the rocky world of Geonosis. Branch, along with over 100,000 Clone Troops, assumed command over a battalion, and prepared his troops for battle. When they arrived, Branch was among the clones to rescue the Jedi from the Petranaki Arena after they were pinned down from Count Dooku and his Droid Army. Later, Branch would also participate in helping Jedi Master Kyle Redbreak in destorying several coreships that were attempting to leave Geonosis, though Kyle was unaware that Branch would serve alongside him during the Clone Wars. Capable of leading his troops, Branch was able to take down dozens of Droids before he and his men moved onto securing key point areas so that the Republic would gain a strategic foothold on the battlefield in order to cripple the Separatist offensive. He was later awarded for his actions on Geonosis, and was promoted from Clone Battalion Commander to Clone Regimental Commander. The Clone Wars (22 BBY- 19 BBY) Soon following the Battle of Geonosis, millions of clones were pressed into service, with many clone commanders preparing to meet their Jedi Generals. Paired with the eccentric Jedi Master Kyle Redbreak, Branch and the General led the 422nd Defense Corps in numerous battles. The very first mission Branch had was the Decimator campaign. Following the campaign, Branch remained active, always ready to respond when a mission came to him. Hunt for the Decimator One month following the Battle of Geonosis, the dark Jedi Chiss named Sev'rance Tann obtained the plans for the Republic's secret weapon, the Decimator. Later, the volcanic world known as Sarapin had fallen under Separatist control after defeating a substantial number of the Republic garrisons. Sarapin, being known for supplying more than 80% of power to the Core Worlds, needed to be retaken. The Jedi Council dispatched Jedi Generals Kyle Redbreak and Echuu Shen-Jon, along with Padawans Joch Farlight and Naat Reath. Branch accompanied the Jedi to the volcanic world, helping to clear out the first wave of battle droids they encountered. Following a discovery of a destroyed Decimator, the Republic forces smashed much of the Droid Army before liberating Mt. Corvast and capturing its commnder, Zian Finnis. Finnis informed the Jedi that Tann was last seen on Tatooine. Before leaving to pursue her, the Republic repaired the generators and soon Sarapin was back under full Republic control. On Tatooine, the Separatists made an alliance with Boorka the Hutt, promising aid to push off any Republic invaders. Shen-Jon, Redbreak and Reath met up with Jabba the Hutt, who gave them the full details, but was unwilling to help. Soon, the Republic troops prepare to march on the fortress. Branch led his men deep inside the fortress, destroying dozens of battle droids before capturing the command post. Inside, Reath discovered invoices for the planet Krant, and that the Separatists had already established their own Decimator facilities on that lush world. Thus, the hunt continued as the Jedi regrouped and left immediately for Krant. The fleet arrived in the Krant system, just before intercepting transmissions from one of Krant's moons, Aereen. It was later found that the Trade Federation mining facilities were providing raw materials to create their Decimators. After conferring with Mace Windu, Echuu, Kyle and Naat were ordered to establish a base of operations and to destroy the mining facilities. With Kyle leading an air strike, Branch and his men followed Shen-Jon's lead, clearing out the first line of defenses, then breaching deep inside the walls of the mining facilities before finally capturing them. The Jedi found out that Sev'rance Tann was on Krant, overseeing the the manufacturing of the Decimator. Despite Reath wanting to report this to the council, Shen-Jon insisted that they act now and attack. As they gathered a strike team, Kyle and Branch remained on Aereen to monitor their progress and to provide reinforcements if necessary. (To be Expanded) Extensive Training Several weeks into the war, Branch was pulled out from the front lines and was among the hundred clones to enter into the experimental training regimen headed by Alpha-17. Designed to provoke independent thinking and expanding their individuality, Branch's outlook changed completely (some say that his training with Alpha-17 was partially responsible for his rebellious nature). As such, Branch showed his individuality by attaching a visor to his helmet, secondary-com atenna, a kama, a pauldron and customizing his armor with blue markings. Christophsis (To be Expanded) Liberty on Ryloth : "So we're heading to Ryloth, huh? Might even get to see some pretty Twi'leks." : "We've come here to liberate Ryloth, not go on shore leave, lieutenant. And mind your manners. There'll be no hanging out with the Twi'leks until the battle is won." —lieutenant Faunt and Commander Branch Late into the first year of the war, the Separatists conquered the Outer Rim world of Ryloth. Led by Emir Wat Tambor, the Droid Armies looted the planet of its riches, using the Twi'leks as slaves to carry them to the capital city of Lessu where the Tambor established his headquarters. With the Separatist fleet blockading the planet under the command of Mar Tuuk, the Republic needed to act. First sending General Ima-Gun Di and his forces to retake Ryloth, they were rapidly defeated after their fleet was destroyed and unable to keep them re-supplied. Cham Syndulla, a radical politician organized the freedom fighters, working to push the Separatists off Ryloth. When word filtered back to the Senate of the failure of the initial task force, the Republic launched a new and larger troop detachment. First led by Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano, they managed to break Tuuk's blockade despite encountering a setback. This allowed for Jedi Generals Windu, Kenobi, Alnin and Keloy, along with their forces to safely enter Ryloth's atmosphere. The three Acclamator-class Cruisers--the Delegate, Insurance and Covenant ''entered Ryloth, intending to use Nabat as the landing zone. However, since the city was still under Separatist occupation, Generals Obi-Wan and Gram led Ghost and Thruster Company respectively to make way for the invasion. The attack proved to be a success, and the Republic landed companies of troops and heavy machines. With Kenobi heading to the southern hemisphere to engage another Droid Army, Alnin joined Skywalker's BTL-B Squadron to help halt the attack of Tambor's Hyena Droid bombers onto a village. As for Mace and Alloysis, they marched their men towards the capital city of Lessu, hoping to finally put an end to the Confederate occupation. Later, Jedi Generals Kyle Redbreak and Jennifer SpaceDreamer's fleets were mobilized and moved in to assist the Republic's efforts. During the journey, the fleet was intercepted by General Grievous and his ships. With starfighter squadrons launched, Redbreak, Branch, along with Booster Company, defended the ''Consular's hangar against the droid ships. Following the battle, the fleet continued the journey to Ryloth, first providing aid to the ravaged villages. While surveying the village and scanning for any remaining droids, Branch and his troops recovered the bodies of General Di and his men. While the corpses were being taken back to the fleet, Branch inputted of men sacrificing their lives in the line of duty, to which Kyle replied that the sacrifice had become high. Shortly after the eulogy, master Mace Windu assigned SpaceDreamer's and Redbreak's forces to capture several supply depots in the deserts, canyons and forests. Whilst SpaceDreamer's men would take the depots in the canyons and forests, Commander Branch and his men made their way to capture the depots in the deserts. In the desert, the battle was fierce, with the advance sluggish due to stiff resistance. Calling in the 3rd Larty Wing to clear a path for Booster Company and Cannon Company, the troops were successful of capturing the first supply depot. Immediately after, the troops captured the second, third and fourth supply depots with cannon fire, sniping maneuvers and mortar shots. With the depots placed under Republic control, Windu and Keloy's forces renewed their assault and with the help of the freedom fighters, successfully captured Lessu. Once the battle was won, the Republic began pulling out its troops from Ryloth because of an agreement made with Syndulla of a no Republic military presence. After the celebrations, Branch and his men were once again commended for their bravery and actions. Again, for his exceptional leadership and determination, Branch was elevated to the rank of Senior Clone Commander. Once all troops pulled out, Branch accompanied General Redbreak to the space station of Juma-9 to help install a new deck cannon. With his mind focused on an average mission, Branch would later play a role in fending off a full on droid assault. Juma-9 (To be Expanded) Iktotch and Umbara Branch, along with Booster Company and Phantom Company supported General Redbreak and Commander Farlight during the defense of the Iktotch system in late 21 BBY. While Kyle and Joch engaged General Grievous in combat, the clone commander successfully lead his men into pushing the Droid Armies away from the sector, securing a victory. However, there was very little time to rest, as Republic reinforcements were desperately needed on Umbara. Rounding up a platoon, as the rest of the unit was needed here, Branch accompanied Redbreak and Farlight to the darkened world, initially encountering stiff resistance from the enemy fleet. When they finally landed, the 5th Platoon provided covering fire for Gram Alnin and Obi-Wan Kenobi's battalions as they made their final assault on the capital. Unfortunately the Umbaran militia put up stubborn resistance, and with casualties mounting, Branch, along with Commander Blake and Generals Redbreak and Alnin infiltrated the base via the sewer and used the Umbaran Hovertank to neutralize the outer perimeter, allowing Kenobi and his forces to swarm and capture the capital. With the capital secured, Umbara soon fell under Republic control. For his brave efforts and tactical leadership, Branch was elevated to the highest rank a clone trooper could attain: Clone Marshal Commander. Battle of Hypori (Outer Rim Sieges) When the Separatists' attempt to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine from Coruscant failed, the Republic launched new offensives to destroy the remnants of the rebellion, supplied by thousands of new Spaarti Clones and warships. With Count Dooku dead and the Separatist Council power greatly destablizied, the Grand Army soon won superiority over the now-weakened Droid Army. General Grievous, on the other hand, succeeded the deceased Count as Head of State, but the cyborg general was far from Dooku's equal in controlling the Council, whom they beleive that Grievous was incapable of salvaging the situation. As Grievous prepared to take on his new role, the Outer Rim Sieges was nearing its end as numerous planets such as Saleucami, Felucia and Mygeeto soon collapsed and fell under Republic control. As other Separatist forces were driven to retreat in the Outer Rim worlds, Jedi Master Kyle Redbreak and the 422nd Defense Corps were dispatched to clear out the enemy strongolh on Hypori. On the rocky surface, thousands of troops from both sides fought fiercely with the Republic slowly getting the upper hand. Death : "Tell me Branch, do you recall of what you said when we were on Ryloth during the early stags of the war?" : "I did, sir. Soldiers were bred for battle, and that sacrificing their lives is what they do to secure a peaceful outcome. I did set an example--I sacrificed my own life here. The end has come for me." : "It's never the end. You were like a brother to me. I never doubted your heroism, nor your courage. I will always remember you as a true friend, and a good man." : "Thank you, sir. Time for me to, as you say, 'become one with the Force'... Never got that until now..." —Kyle Redbreak comforting Branch before the latter succumbs to his wounds During the battle, Branch was critically wounded by shrapnel and heavy mortar shots. When Redbreak came to comfort him, Branch said that he was meant to sacrifice his life. Before dying, however, Branch gave Redbreak his journal, detailing the battles they fought in, the clones' feelings towards the Jedi, as well as top-secret orders that were not meant to be recorded. With that, Branch passed away with his wounds, ending his life as a valiant soldier to the Grand Army. Personality and Traits : "As much as I follow orders, there are times when I refuse to carry them out, even from high ranking officials. I know an odd order when I see one, and I question them before I'm convinced it makes sense in my head. That's what sets me apart from other clones; I'm more free-thinking. I don't act or think like a Droid and I'm independent, including making decisions that go by the book or not--something that I've learned from Alpha when I was training with him." —Commander Branch Branch was a clone commander who treats his position with seriousness and focus. Strict yet ever-caring towards his men, Branch expects them to give out their fullest potential during the war. He will not hesitate to give out his opinion and suggestions to Kyle, to which the latter appreciates, knowing that Branch was not a mere clone or expendable. While Branch greatly trusts the Jedi Order, he disapproves of some of the more "pompous" officials such as the Moffs and Republic generals, which often leads him to arguing with his superiors. Despite his rather "rebellious" nature (some people compare him to Anakin Skywalker or Kyle Redbreak), most Generals found cause to respect Branch's way of thinking. With Branch's successful leadership, he was an ideal leader of the Grand Army. Branch was one of the very few clone troopers who recieved rapid promotions over the course of the Clone Wars. Due to his strong individuality and stubborn opposition towards pompous officials, Branch, along with other clones serving in the Grand Army often despised many of the Republic's Moffs harsh attitudes towards the Jedi's leadership. As a result, Branch found more cause to respect the Jedi over the Grand Army. When he died on Hypori, Branch knowing that something devastating could happened to the Jedi Order, gave Kyle his journal to save his friend's life. Because of this, Branch saved another Jedi and another spark of hope. Category:Clones Category:Commander Category:Republic Category:Heroes of Geonosis Category:Heroes of Umbara Category:Heroes of the 104th Category:Heroes of Ryloth Category:Leader Category:Male Characters Category:422nd Defense Corps Category:Trooper Battle Class Category:Class Rank:Battalion Commander Category:Solid Soldier Category:Clone Commander